One Day
by kepulver
Summary: Elita1 and Chromia have a conversation takes place after Search for Alpha Trion


**Author's Note:** Elita-1 and Chromia talk about things and stuff. Mildly angsty. Ack-ack and Responder are my names for the unnamed Autobot femmes who appeared in "Search for Alpha Trion"; Ack-Ack is the orange one, Responder is the green one.

**One Day:**

"Elita, you shouldn't be out here." Chromia stepped off the latter, onto the observation deck. "Shockwave's troops are on the move. We've got reports that he's sending two squadrons of Skysweepers out on patrol of this sector."

Chromia looked skyward, frowning as if she expected both squads to appear at that very moment. "Besides, it's maudlin to keep looking at his star like that."

Elita nodded as she stood and walked toward the ladder, her hands clenching and unclenching. "You're right; much as I don't like hearing it. Still, it helps to know he's there and safe."

"As safe as anyone can be sharing a world with Megatron." Chromia herded her toward the ladder, almost crowding her against it. "Come on, we can talk on the way back."

Elita swung herself around, starting down the ladder. "Are the others back?"

"Safe and sound. Firestar called them back before I came after you. Luckily, none of them were too far out." Chromia waited briefly, giving one quick glance back at the sky before she too started down the ladder.

Elita grinned. "To what do I owe the personal escort?"

"You mean other than the fact I have no desire for a battlefield promotion?" Rust flakes rained down from the ladder as Chromia's hands and feet clanked lightly on the rungs of the ladder. "Firestar's call to the others was the last one we'll be making for a while. We're on radio silence for at least the next ten watches."

"That bad?" Elita frowned as she kept moving.

"That bad. We've had word that the Wreckers are planning to evac, maybe head to one of the poles. We might want to follow their example."

"We'll prepare for that, but for now I'd prefer to stay put. We're a smaller group than the Wreckers are; we should have an easier time hiding."

Chromia didn't reply right away. When she did, she spoke with caution. "You can still see his star from the pole."

"I know that." Elita squeezed the ladder rungs she was holding until they creaked. "I'm not fool enough to keep us here for that."

"I know you're not but, well, I saw how you looked at him."

"Chromia, he was back from the _dead_! And as I recall, you weren't exactly unhappy to see Ironhide."

"At first, no." Chromia shifted her weight, making the ladder groan and squeak. "But, after a while -- I thought at first that he'd changed but..."

"It wasn't him; it was you -- us." Elita stepped off the ladder, reaching out to steady Chromia. "I know. That was the same problem I had. They were just like they were before the Ark left. So hopeful, so enthusiastic, so i naive /i . In all the vorn they've been gone, I never thought seeing them again would hurt more than losing them had."

"Do you ever think that maybe we should have gone with them?" Chromia stepped off the ladder and reached over to brush rust flakes off Elita's shoulders. "To Earth, I mean. We could have gone with Magnus's crew."

"Constantly, but it would have been a disaster. Ironhide, Optimus, really all of them -- they haven't seen what we have. I don't think they had time to realize just how bad things have gotten for us." Elita started down the hallway, her weapon drawn and at the ready. Chances were that they wouldn't run into interference, but she and the others hadn't survived this long by taking needless chances. "Or how much we've changed since they've been gone. I...it sounds selfish I know, but I cannot, I i will not /i go back to being someone else's underling, even Optimus."

Chromia grinned. "Especially not after his 'honor duel' with Megatron."

Elita sighed, then laughed. "Don't remind me! Besides, leaving now would be like admitting defeat and abandoning Cybertron to Shockwave. The blow to morale would be disastrous. No, it's better that we all stay where we belong and do what needs to be done. There'll be time enough for reunions when the war's over."

"If it ends." Chromia sighed.

"One day, perhaps." Elita continued on in silence. "Supplies; how are we set for supplies?"

"We've got enough stockpiled to stay to ground for as long as we need to. Ack-ack and Responder brought back a full load with them. We'll be fine."

"Good. Let's get home then."


End file.
